# Jose Piedra



## Steve C. (Jun 16, 2015)

These caught my eye because of the price ( about $2.00 each). Anyone have tried these?


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## Rondo (Sep 9, 2015)

They don't get much love.
Some have RG in the 30's which I don't favor.
If you do, let us know what you think.


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## MrCrowley39 (Mar 29, 2016)

Try one. I have a couple of the cazadore vitola. I've been told they are a step up from Guantanamera as the Jose L. Piedra are hand finished. I'm keeping these to share with a buddy on a drunken afternoon where it doesn't matter if we lose track of the stick or if they don't usually smoke cigars and they end up not finishing it. For $2 try it.


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## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

Meh. Don't waste your time. I have a couple of bundles of JLP's and keep trying to convince myself that they're okay... unsuccessfully. Sorry, but cheap does not equal value when you end up pitching them after a few puffs.


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## Tubescreamer (Apr 8, 2016)

They are OK to introduce friends to Cubans. They have that Cuban Twang. They are basically, yard or dogwalk Cubans....


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## Rondo (Sep 9, 2015)

Anything considered a "yard habano" is a crime against humanity.


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## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

Tubescreamer said:


> *They are OK to introduce friends to Cubans.* They have that Cuban Twang. They are basically, yard or dogwalk Cubans....


I have to disagree about being okay to introduce friends to Cubans. Enemies maybe. But not friends.


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## Steve C. (Jun 16, 2015)

Well, they are 42-43-44 ring, and up to 6" in length, but I reckon a dog rocket is no bargain at any price. I'll pass, based on the comments.


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

Tough to beat for the coin. That said the HU 1/2 corona for a little more is well worth the reach if money is an issue 


"With your shield, or on it"...


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## StogieNinja (Jul 29, 2009)

I agree with @asmartbull, I generally find it worthwhile to pay a bit more for a HUHC, or Boli CJ, or Monte 5 or whatever. That being said, I definitely stock the Jose L Piedra Cazadores, and actually smoke them regularly when I want a smoke but don't know how long ill be able to enjoy it before I have to put it out. Just smoked one on Sunday, actually. It was an excellent smoke for the $2 I paid.

They're fairly mild, but with some down time and at a low rH (low 60's) they smoke great, with a little twang and a creamy sweetness. I hand them out a lot to friends without mentioning they're Cuban, and they still get rave reviews from most.

I disagree with @curmudgeonista about giving them to beginners. Because they tend to the quite mild side and it doesn't matter if they get tossed, I find them to be great cigars for beginners. They're not the cream of the crop, but in my experience, first-time smokers don't have the palate to distinguish between a JLP and a Qd'O, they just need something relatively mild that they can pick up pleasant overtones from, everything else tends to be lost on their palate.


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## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

@StogieNinja - I wasn't thinking of total cigar noobs so much as cigar buddies who've never had a Cuban. And I am happy to hear there are better JLP's out there than I've had. But my experience with them has been predominately bad news.

I pulled out a JLP Petit Cetro just this morning (b/c of this thread) from a bundle I've had resting for about 3-months. Honestly, I couldn't smoke more than an inch of it before I had to chuck it. I'm a huge fan of bargain gems, but Petit Cetros sure as heck aren't it!

I went through a bundle of JLP Cremas last year that ranged from passable to just as awful as this morning's P-Cet. I've had slightly better luck with Quinteros. But still not something I think would make anyone sit up and say_ "WOW, sign me up for the darkside!"_


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## StogieNinja (Jul 29, 2009)

curmudgeonista said:


> @StogieNinja - I wasn't thinking of total cigar noobs so much as cigar buddies who've never had a Cuban. And I am happy to hear there are better JLP's out there than I've had. But my experience with them has been predominately bad news.
> 
> I pulled out a JLP Petit Cetro just this morning (b/c of this thread) from a bundle I've had resting for about 3-months. Honestly, I couldn't smoke more than an inch of it before I had to chuck it. I'm a huge fan of bargain gems, but Petit Cetros sure as heck aren't it!
> 
> I went through a bundle of JLP Cremas last year that ranged from passable to just as awful as this morning's P-Cet. I've had slightly better luck with Quinteros. But still not something I think would make anyone sit up and say_ "WOW, sign me up for the darkside!"_


Yeah, I'd agree both that new-to-cigars vs new-to-CCs-but-not-cigars might warrant a different route, and also that JLP can have variance. I have found that lots of downtime (my current bundle is from '12) and smoking them on the dryer side both work wonders, at least for me. They weren't nearly as nice when I first got them.


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

The best value in this class of cigar is Troya........these stumped a lot of veterans in a blind taste test


" With your shield, or on it"...


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